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Danielle Smith demands end to censorship powers of AHRC

Wildrose Alliance leadership candidate Danielle Smith is part of a growing movement of Albertans demanding an end political censorship in the province.

Matthew Johnston - July 14, 2009

In a statement to supporters today, Wildrose Alliance leadership candidate Danielle Smith promised to repeal the political censorship powers of the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC).

“The first necessity of every democracy is freedom for everyone to say what they think. Unfortunately, the PC record in this regard is going from bad to worse,” said Smith. “Alberta’s human rights commission has assumed the power to investigate, prosecute and punish publishers, pastors and bishops for making political statements with which it disagrees. This commission is an arm of government (not a court of law) censoring political debate.”

After promising to reform the AHRC commission, in April the Stelmach government tabled proposed changes to the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Amendment Act that increased the power of the province's controversial human rights laws and added protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation to the scope of the legislation, along with parental rights over the education of children. The government also increased funding for the organization. This broken promise to reform the AHRC was seen as a betrayal of the Progressive Conservative support base that has grown increasing hostile to the abuse of the censorship powers of the organization.

“As leader I would strongly pursue our party’s promise to repeal the political censorship powers of the provincial government through its human rights commission,” said Smith.

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